The Timor Sea is a shallow sea surrounded to the north by Timor, to the east by the Arafura Sea, and to the south by Australia. It gets its name from Timor, an island off the sea’s northern coast. The name of the island is a variation of timur, Malay for “east.” The sea is home to several reefs, uninhabited islands, and large hydrocarbon reserves. Following the discovery of the deposits, international disagreements arose, resulting in the signing of the Timor Sea Treaty. It is likely that the original settlers of Australia crossed the Timor Sea from the Malay Archipelago when sea levels were lower.
